Mana Sound Frame

Ozren

I had a Mana Soundframe under my CD3.5 for about 3 years. It made a reasonable improvement to the sound, but not "jaw dropping" as is commonly banded about.

I recent substituted a Townshend sieze sink air air inflated table underneath it and it totally and I mean totally destroyed the Mana.

Regards

Mick

OK, should I buy it or not?
What about that controversal glass?
Would I really hear a difference?

Ozren

Ozren

I would not buy the Mana but would recommend the s/sink because it gives a fuller more natural sound. I had the glass model with Mana.

The Mana is prone to going out of tune whereas the s/sink is pumped up and will last forever.

Another advantage of the s/sink is that you can quickly move it about to under your dvd where it makes a big improvement. It also looks a lot better.

Regards

Mick

Mick,

What the Hell is this: "Townshend sieze sink air air inflated table"?

Alex

Alex

A few weeks ago, Big Tone (and he is big) came to my place to hear a "traditional Naim " system.

He brought one of these tables with him and played my system naked and then with the s/sink under the CDS2. It made a reasonable improvement in performance.

I then bought one and found it gave very good improvements under the DvD on the tv and an even better improvemnt uner the CD3.5. Mrs Mick would not let me go back to the Mana because of its lesser sound. It was crap in comparison.

Do a search on google for townshend hifi and take it from there.

It really does trash the Mana, a view which is supported by Mrs Mick and my son. I have since sold the Mana.

My Mana is now confined to the speakers.

Also, if any fog horn mouthed oik wants to come wading in about Mana, please listen to the s/sink before lambasting us with your boring views.

Regards

Mick

Mick !

I know about Townshend Seismic Sink, but the price of Sink is very high and I also know that Sink is fantastic, but not with Naim where Sink make sound a bit slower. OK, It doesn't matter, thanks for info, but Sink is really out of my focus and I want to know any quality info about Mana Sound Frame.

Ozren

My system is fairly heavily Mana'd and the effect of a rack/mini table/soundstage is NOT subtle, it trashes the Fraim as well !!! Do the demo mate, trust your own judgement...

I have used Mana with a CDi/CDS/CDS2 works every time - with HUGE results far more than the majority of boxes offer...

naheed...

Hi Alex !

You have mail.

Ozren

Alex

one more mail

Ozren

"it trashes the Fraim as well !!! Do the demo mate, trust your own judgement"

Interesting evaluation, wrong but interesting nethertheless!

Ozren

I gained the impression that you are looking at a Soundframe which is a mini table.

The s/sink is also a "mini table"

The price of the Soundframe is I think £175.00 and the s/sink is around £230.00. You need to check these prices as I am going from memory. But take my word, I have compared the two and it was a one horse race.

If you are thinking of buying a complete stand then that is a different ball game and you have to dem, which is easier said than done.

Naim recommend the Fraim and before its manufacture they recommended the Hutter.

I use Hutter which sounds good but one day I intend to buy a Fraim.

Regards

Mick

Simon - Have you done the direct comparison ?

naheed...

Did anyone know Vuk web page adress?

There was pretty good examples about do it yourself tables.

Ozren

Ozren

Vuks design was certainly effective, my two sons use it and it gives about 2/3's of the Mana effect for about £20.00.

Basically, you have a sheet of MDF cut to the same size as the CDP and you support it on a column of a nut/ ballbearing /nut in each corner of the MDF.

I had 4 levels and it was very good.

Regards

Mick

quote:

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Vuks design was certainly effective, my two sons use it and it gives about 2/3's of the Mana effect

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With all due respect, I think that's a load of buffalo burgers. I preferred my stock Standesign over a phase 2 Vukwich.

(Granted, the Vukwich may have been out of tune and in need of resetting.)

I have heard various iterations of mana against fraim on at least half a dozen occasions, both with vinyl as well as cd.

Sorry Mick, I was unaware that the 'Townshend sieze sink air air inflated table' and the 'Seismick Sink' were one and the same. Anyway, people I know and trust report that these do all the hi-fi and forget the tune. For my part, I've never heard one, and, (my) jury is still out as to whether Mana might not do the same.

What I do know is that the prototype StrataBase platform is easily the best support I've placed either my CDP or TT on, ever. But I need the Mana too - the StrataBase works much better on phase 7 than on phase 4, for example. Nonetheless, all visitors have confirmed that the StrataBase on top of tuned Mana glass is a significant improvement on bare Mana glass, especially with regard to note definition and the realism of acoustic instruments. Equally, everyone has confirmed that the StrataBase is significantly better atop Mana than on a standard Base rack, an Ikea Lack table or the floor. Anyone who doesn't believe any of this is welcome to visit too.

BTW Please don't confuse StrataBase platforms (of which there are two in existence but hopefully a production run soon) and standard Base platforms - the latter leave the music sounding dead and uninvolving by comparison.

Alex

I think Mick is channeling an early 70s era Syd Barrett.

Matthew

Mr Duerden

This is not an exact science and you know it.

The Townshend s/s was heard by Mark E J last week and his comment was....its still the Naim sound.

Do not comment on anything unless you have knowledge or experience.

I have heard the s/s in direct comparison to the Mana and the Mana was trashed.

There is nothing in having the opposite view if you have heard both which you appear to have not.

Regards

Mick

quote:

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I then bought one and found it gave very good improvements under the DvD

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Mick,

I remember you bought a Tosh 36".

Have you got a decent RGB ONLY scart lead and coax digital lead for the sound. You will find great improvement if you don't.

In what ways does the stand help the DVD?

"Have you got a decent RGB ONLY scart lead and coax digital lead for the sound"

Mick's Toshiba almost certainly has a component video input which is by far the prefered option for connecting a DVD.

Matthew

Count'd and Matthew

My eldest son was once a TV Engineer and he sorted out everything for me.

He claims that my TV is firing at optimum performance.

The s/sink does actually improve the DVD and I suggest you give it a go.

Regards

Mick

Matthew,

I'm talking of the QED range of products which are reputed as the best. Their RGB ONLY squart lead gives the same result as component only leads.

I always welcome your bold statements of knowledge without practice, usually found in the photography section of Padded Cell.

Matthew, jack of all trades, master of none.

quote:

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I'm talking of the QED range of products which are reputed as the best. Their RGB ONLY squart lead gives the same result as component only leads.

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We're getting slightly OT here, bu who cares..?

Whether RGB or component (or whatever) is better actually depends on your telly. For example, Loewe TV's are based on a luminance/chrominance chassis. Hence, SVHS leads will give better results with a Loewe since RGB and component signals will first have to be converted into Y/C, which doesn't exactly improve the image.

Cheers,

Edo

Marco

I have during the last two weeks, written several articles extolling the virtues of the Mana stands for speakers (Briks). I was also the only person who actually answered the question asked by the originator of the thread, on how to assemble and set up the stands. Hardly anti Mana. I also told him to persevere because he was unhappy with his initial set up.

I have however in all fairness stated that the s/sink under my CD3.5 trashed the Mana soundstage which it did.

My Wife and youngest son also agreed with that.

Do not think of me as anti Mana, more pro s/sink.

I am currently skint because I have saving up for a motorbike, however, if I had a wodge to spend on racks, I would buy Fraim for preference or Hutter if I had less money.

I would not buy any other rack. So I am anti all of them as well.

Also, if I had a LP12, I would buy a Mana wall mounted rack possibly up to phase 2. So I hope this dispells your concerns.

Also just to keep all this in perspective, I recently visited the home of the well known Big Tone to listen to his Wadia based system and if it had been better than my system, the Naim would have been put up for sale the very next day.

Fortunately I like my system and intend keeping it but only with Fraim or Hutter as the rack.

Regards

Mick